Berryhill takes first loss of regional, but still advances to Sunday's championship game

Midland Daily News

Published
10:40 pm EDT, Saturday, August 5, 2017

NAPOLEON, Ohio — Poor defense in the top of the ninth inning led to Midland Berryhill Post 165's first loss of the American Legion Baseball Great Lakes Regional on Saturday night.

Danville (Ill.) scored five unearned runs in the ninth on three errors to break a 3-3 tie and beat Berryhill 8-4.

Berryhill made five errors in the game.

Berryhill came into the game as the only team without a loss in the regional. As a result, the Midland team still advances to the regional championship game at 4 p.m. Sunday against the winner of Sunday's 1 p.m. game between Danville and Rockport (Ind.).

The regional champion will go to the eight-team American Legion World Series from Aug. 10-15 in Shelby, N.C. Berryhill is aiming for its third World Series berth in four years, having made it in 2014 and 2015.

If Berryhill had beaten Danville, Berryhill would have had two chances to clinch the title on Sunday: with a game at 1 p.m. and, if necessary, another game at 4 p.m.

Danville built a 2-0 lead with runs in the first and third innings. Berryhill tied the game in the fourth when Martin Money doubled and scored on a double by Garrett Willis, who then scored on a double by Logan LaCourse.

Berryhill briefly took the lead in the fifth when Tyler David walked, took third on a single by Cole Brooks and scored on Gabe Denton's single. But Danville promptly scored in the sixth to make it 3-3.

Danville broke the game open in the top of the ninth, loading the bases with one out on two errors and a walk. Two runs scored on another error, which was followed by an RBI single. Two wild pitches caused a fourth run to score, and another RBI single made it 8-3.

Berryhill threatened in the bottom of the ninth, loading the bases with one out. But after Zach Schirmer's sacrifice fly made it 8-4, Logan Buczkowski grounded into a forceout to end the game.

Cody Freed pitched the first two innings for Berryhill, giving up one earned run on three hits. Cameron Schneider took the loss, allowing six runs, two earned, on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings, and Jeff Allen gave up one unearned run on two hits in the final 2/3 inning.